Wednesday, November 27, 2013

"Let
the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were
called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you
richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms,
hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."
(Colossians 3:15-16)God
is not honored when we tell him what we think he wants to hear -- even though
we don’t believe it. He knows better. He is honored (and we are healthiest)
when our hearts and minds flow naturally with His. In this season, we do well
to recognize that included in the flow is a heart-condition called
thankfulness.-- Ray Hollenbach#3332

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Gratitude as a discipline involves a conscious
choice. I can choose to be grateful even when my emotions and feelings are
still steeped in hurt and resentment. It is amazing how many occasions present
themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint. I can choose
to be grateful when I am criticized, even when my heart still responds in
bitterness. I can choose to speak about goodness and beauty, even when my inner
eye still looks for someone to accuse or something to call ugly.--
Henri Nouwen#3331

Monday, November 25, 2013

Several
years ago I offered the invocation for commencement exercises at a large state
university.I remember one unprogrammed
event above everything else.At a
strategic point, the president of the university invited the graduating
students to applaud their parents and spouses, in appreciation for helping them
reach this wonderful day.It was a moving
moment.The
president might also have invited the students to applaud their professors and
librarians, the authors of their textbooks and of journal articles, the people
who preceded them in research, and the citizens whose taxes had paid most of
the cost of their education.It would be
a long list -- and a gloomy one for any egotist who might have thought he or
she was self-made.Above all, the
president could have invited the students to bow in gratitude to God, the
Source of life, breath, health, and talent -- including the vast mines of
talent that most of us never begin adequately to explore.--
J. Ellsworth Kalas in If Experience Is Such a Good Teacher Why Do I Keep
Repeating the Course?#3330

Friday, November 22, 2013

NOTE: On this date 50 years ago, November
22, 1963, the following three influential men died -- English writer and humanist
Aldous Huxley, U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and
English author and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis. Today's SOUND BITES contains
a quote from each.Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you
do with what happens to you. -- Aldous HuxleyAs
we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is
not to utter words, but to live by them.-- John F. KennedyThe present is the only time in which any duty may
be done or any grace received. -- C. S. Lewis#3329

Thursday, November 21, 2013

During
a children's sermon one Sunday morning, I held up an ugly-looking summer shirt
that I wore occasionally around the house. I explained to the children that
someone said the shirt was ugly and should be thrown away. "This really
hurt me," I explained. "I'm having trouble forgiving the person who
said those mean things. Do you think I should forgive that person?" I
asked the children.Immediately,
my six-year-old daughter, Alicia, raised her hand. "Yes, you should,"
she said without hesitation."But
why? The person hurt my feelings," I responded.To
which Alicia wisely answered, "Because you're married to her."--
Glenn S. in ChristianityToday.com Connection#3328

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Prayer
is the plumb line that finds its rest in the place where our hearts beat in
rhythm with the heart of God. Scripture is the weight that propels the plumb
line's fall.-- Wendy M. Wright in Weavings
Magazine, published by The Upper Room,
Nashville, TN.Used with permission.#3327

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

It makes a great difference in our feelings towards others if their needs and
their joys are on our lips in prayer; as also it makes a vast difference in
their feelings towards us if they know that we are in the habit of praying for
them.There is no chasm in society that
cannot be firmly and permanently bridged by intercession; there is no feud or
dislike that cannot be healed by the same exercise of love.--
Charles H. Brent (1862-1929)#3326

Monday, November 18, 2013

Have
patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.Do not lose courage in considering your own
imperfections but instantly set about remedying them -- every day begin the
task anew.--
Francois de Sales (1567-1622)#3325

Friday, November 15, 2013

What is it about your life
or mine that would make someone else want to be a follower of Jesus Christ, a
person of faith, a part of a congregation?The purpose of inviting
other people to follow Jesus is to help them rediscover love -- God's love --
and to provide a community that gives sustained focus, energy, and resources to
developing the spiritual life.No other
community besides the church has as its purpose the deepening of such elements
of the human soul as hope, forgiveness, generosity, service, joy, peace,
justice, gentleness.Love is the key to
unlocking the door to ultimate reality, and in the community of Christ we
intentionally practice receiving God's love, loving God in return, and loving
others.We invite people into a life of
love, surround them with the everlasting arms of God, and encourage them to do
the same for others.We love because God
first loved us.To bear witness to Christ
involves more than inviting people with words.It means living with such grace and integrity that our lives themselves
become appealing to others.The second
chapter of Acts reports that people were drawn into the way of life of the
followers of Christ.They found
Christian practice utterly compelling and irresistibly appealing. Is this true for us?-- Robert Schnase in Five Practices of Fruitful Living#3324

Thursday, November 14, 2013

The One, of
course, is God. And His demand of you is your absolute best, your utmost
integrity. He calls you to apply His commands in all your decisions and
interactions.In a perfect
world, this kind of excellence would always be recognized and amply
compensated. It would earn you the highest respect from your colleagues and
coworkers. It would anchor your job security and even promise you steady
promotion through the ranks. But even when it doesn't -- even when it seems
like no one is noticing -- there is no satisfaction like knowing that God can
say of you, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).The next time
you start to feel unappreciated, undervalued, and overlooked, take your
feelings of inferiority to the Lord in prayer. Let Him be the One with the last
word on how valuable you are. When you're pleasing Him, you're doing your
job.-- Joe Gibbs, from his blog GamePlanForLife.com#3323

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Jesus
said, "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I
would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there
you may be also."(John 14:2-3)

Safety
is not ultimately found in a secure place or a safe situation, but safety is
only found in God... The truth is all of us… will die.It may be when we're young; it may be when
we're old.But we will die.There will be a day when some pastor or
official stands in front of our friends and family and tries to comfort
them.At the moment of your death, the
only thing that matters is your relationship with Jesus Christ.He is still the last and the best hope for
all of us; He is the only one who truly can keep us safe.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Better than anyone in
history, in any field or discipline, Jesus capitalized on the possibility in
people -- the hidden potential inherent in all of us.Talented entrepreneurs in our society see
hidden potential in a product or service before anybody else does -- and as a
result of pursuing their vision, cutting-edge companies emerge.Expert athletic coaches often spot hidden
potential in a high school football player or tennis player, and because of
applied foresight, college sports dynasties are built.But Jesus had a corner of
the "potential" market.He had
an uncanny ability to look past the obvious flaws in people's lives and
envision who they could become if the power of God were released in their lives.Intrinsically, He just wondered about
people.Wondered what they could
become.Wondered how they might look in
a transformed state.Wondered what
impact they could have if their lives were invested in things of eternal value.He somehow saw the godly
worshiper clothed as a worn, wearied prostitute.The faithful disciple hiding inside a
fisherman named Simon.The hidden
philanthropist in the life of a crooked tax collector named Zacchaeus.The risk-taker in a cowardly Jewish ruler
named Nicodemus.What a fantastic gift
He had for seeing what nobody else could see!"All things are
possible" was Jesus' mantra.All
things.And countless lives were
transformed because He chose to look past surface stuff to see what was
ultimately possible.-- Bill Hybels in Just Walk Across the Room#3321

Monday, November 11, 2013

Dear Lord, today we honor
our veterans, worthy men and women who gave their best when they were called
upon to serve and protect their country. We pray that you will bless them,
Lord, for their unselfish service in the continual struggle to preserve our
freedoms, our safety, and our country’s heritage, for all of us. Bless them
abundantly for the hardships they faced, for the sacrifices they made for their
many different contributions to America’s
victories over tyranny and oppression. We respect them, we thank them, we honor
them, we are proud of them, and we pray that you will watch over these special
people and bless them with peace and happiness. In Jesus’ name we pray; Amen.-- Joanna Fuchs#3320

Friday, November 1, 2013

By
the quality of our inner lives I do not mean something characterized by
ferocious intensity and strain.I mean
rather such a humble and genial devotedness as we find in the most loving of
the saints.I mean the quality which
makes contagious Christians, makes people catch the love of God from you.--EvelynUnderhill#3319

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Welcome to SOUND BITES

By David T. Wilkinson

Over the years I have collected quotes that pertain to the Christian faith and life in general. As I have read or studied what others have written, I have been struck by the profound thought that is captured in their few short words. These quotes have been shared through SOUND BITES Ministry™ , a five-day-a-week inspirational e-mail ministry, and now are shared through this blog as well. You will also find us on Facebook by clicking SOUND BITES Ministry on Facebook.

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How SOUND BITES came to be

During Lent 1999 God prompted me to think about a new idea as to how I might share these thoughts with a broader audience. At the same time, our family was experiencing the first anniversary of the death of our son, Dustin, who died at the age of sixteen from a brain tumor. So, beginning on that anniversary, March 29, 1999 we began an e-mail ministry in memory of Dustin that we call SOUND BITES: Something to chew on that is good for the soul™. Five days a week, Monday through Friday, I share one of these quotes with subscribers. Hopefully recipients find something of faith and life to think about and chew on, which feeds their soul and helps them grow spiritually. Since its inception, over 4200 daily quotes have been sent out. The subscriber list continues to grow numerically and geographically with subscribers in every state in the U.S., and also in Canada, Mexico, and numerous other countries around the world. Currently close to 2000 subscribers receive SOUND BITES directly via e-mail and many others second hand. Now through Facebook, Twitter and this blog we expand our outreach even more. A number of years ago we had folks share how GOD has used our SOUND BITES Ministry™ to minister them. To read their comments click 13th Anniversary Comments.